Fixed Pitch

[smw5767]

Hi Guys,
I've had a coaxial Heli for about 4 mnths now and love flying,i'm now ready to go on to Fixed pitch in the form of the E-flite Blade 120 SR,as i have read many good reviews about these and think it will be a good progression for me.
I have a question as a total beginner,if i may.Is it uncommon for people to stay with FP Heli's and NOT progress on to CP Heli's? Because,for me,at the moment, the coaxial Heli is fun! so i think the FP will be brilliant! I know CP are more versatile/challenging,brilliant in their own way.But,i'm thinking they are VERY expensive,unlike the FP,and the CP will smash to pieces on nearly every slight crash? something i have neither the patience or money to endure,whereas the FP are cheaper,more robust/forgiving on crashes but still a ton of fun.
What do you think Guys,is this opinion uncommon?

[Gav]

go for it. If you can fly FP well - it will put you in good stead when you move on to CP.

you can learn alot with FP. Have fun.

[cjcj1949]

You can stay on Fixed Pitch, but fixed or collective crash and cost much the same. It's size that matters. Smaller is better at surviving. Some fixed pitch are designed to be more stable like the msr and the 120sr. They have the flybar at an angle (45) to the rotor rather than the traditional 90 degrees. This sort of heli will behave more like a coax. It will tend to return to a hover after a disturbance. A 90 degree heli will not go back to a hover on its own. It has no built in stability. A Cp heli can be setup as a fixed pitch if you want. You just set the pitch curve to a constant value.

[idbvideo]

Nahh just go CP, as stated above the costs for a small heli crash are about the same. Go for MCPX

[paulsouthport]

MCPX ! - whole lot of CP fun in a mars bar size package!

[smw5767]

As i said,my next Heli is the Blade 120 SR.

[scuba steve]

i know your FP idea is a good one as i did it. i learnt all the basics on different FP models (even backward flight) and from my experiences the FP crashes SOOoooo much better than a CP (cost,parts, time to repair, set up etc) sure i moved onto the bigger CP but this is a hobby after all so stick with what you can afford and if the only time you get annoyed is when you battery runs out......you know your doing the right thing for you enjoy your blade 120.

[unwind-protect]

As i said,my next Heli is the Blade 120 SR.

Well, there's no point asking if you've made up your mind, is there?!

I've flown a 120 and really didn't like it. I've flown an mcpx and did like it. I was far more worried about breaking the 120. Your mileage may vary.

[unwind-protect]

A Cp heli can be setup as a fixed pitch if you want. You just set the pitch curve to a constant value.

Not really. The point of a fixed pitch helicopter is that the head mechanics are much simpler, therefore there's less to break in the event of a crash. Also they are designed for a lower head speed (e.g. using more efficient blades) so that varying the rotor speed to vary lift is a practical thing to do.

[cjcj1949]

I'm not sure there's much point to a FP heli. It's like black and white tv really. Something that was ok before colour. Your points are valid of course in the strictest sense, but in my experience a FP heli is not easier to fly than a CP and in my crashes the more complex part of the head hasn't been damaged.

My first FP heli was a Walkera thing about the same size as an msr (I've just seen from your post that you know all about them it was a 4#3B). It was very useful for hovering practice but it was a real pig. The msr on the other hand was brilliant. An msr outdoors on the other hand is a real pain and much more difficult than a CP 450.

[noddyflyer]

the only thing fp taught me was they are a waste of time too frustrating so i got a 250se. lerned to hover quicker and made me more confident (i fly in my kitchen) go cp its worth it....mick